The Trayvon Martin tragedy sparked a national outcry and tense dialogue around a host of issues: racial profiling, guns, excessive force and due process, to name a few. It also presented an opportunity for policy makers, practitioners and advocates to connect some dots – perhaps pulling our attention away from this one unfortunate incident, to look at the bigger picture. One set of dots is that the victimization of young black males, like Trayvon, is at epidemic levels in this country.

Last night, Shirkey Warthen was murdered in Kingsessing while attempting to peacefully settle an argument between two people. Warthen was a young man that dedicated his life as a youth mentor to help stop the violence that is plaguing our community.

I didn't know Shirkey, but I wish I had. At only 22, Warthen accomplished many things in his lifetime; things that we should all strive to emulate.

The Philadelphia Inquirer published a heartbreaking story today about the death of Khalil Wimes.The article, titled 'How city agencies failed to save 6-year-old Khalil", provides a haunting description of the horrific abuse that Khalil suffered at the hands of his biological parents, Floyd Wimes and Tina Cuffie.